Fire-escape



(No Model.) 4 S. STEVENSQN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 444,308. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

WITNESSES 1L lNVENTOfi. m b

- w 1 Mm 4 j 4 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL M. STEVENSON, OF BASTROP, LOUISIANA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,308, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed April 29, 1890.

T to whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that LSAMU L M. STEVENSON, of Bastrop, in the parish of Morehead and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in a class of fire-escapes in which a movable cage or vehicle is employed to transport persons from an elevated point in a burning building to the ground or other safe locality below, the objects being to provide a device of the character named which will be easily operated and which will aiford a speedy, reliable, and safe means for transporting timid and frightened inmates of a burning structure from a window or other avenue of exit above to the ground below.

To these ends my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Referenceis to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device in sect-ion, taken on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2, in position for use on a building. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the device, taken on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1, in position to receive a load of escaping inmates from a burning building. Fig. 3 is an upper end View of the fire-escape car with the roof portion removed, and Fig. 4 is a view of the anchor-plate used to support two trolley-ropes at the lower end of the same. a

The fire-escape vehicle consists of a car A, A

of rectangular form, made from fire-proof material. Preferably sheet metal of athickness to insure stability is employed for the purpose. As a means for adequate protection of occupants escaping from a coni'lagration the car A is made with double walls throughout, that are held spaced apart by studs of metal, as shown at a, on the bottom, or channel-iron may be employed for such a purpose in an obvious manner. The end walls of the car are mainly removed to afford openings for the ingress and egress of persons who are using the same as a fire-escape, doors A being furnished, which are beveled on their edges to mate a similar conformation of the Serial No. 349,889. (No model.)

fire-proof joint is afforded 011 both doors around their edges. A sufficient height is provided between the floor and ceiling of the close car to admit one or more adults within.

Near the upper end of the carA a transverse shaft bis journaled in the side walls thereof, and upon the outer ends of this shaft, which project beyond the car sides, two pulleys 0, having flanges on their edges, are secured. Two drums dare placed upon and affixed to the shaft b in the interior of the car A, being located near the sidewalls of the car, and of a proper diameter and length to serve as friction-wheels whereon the upright lever-brakes e, pivoted to the sides of the car, may be applied by pressure upon their free upper ends, two brake-levers 6 being also pivoted to the sides of the car to enable an operator seated within the car on a bench f to brake the drums cl by grasping the levers 6'. Loose grooved pulleys g are mounted on the shaft 1) between the flanged pulleys c and the sides of the car, there being two similar bracket-frames g placed over the shaft and pulleys g, which aid to support the shaft b, said frames being secured by bottom flanges g upon the lower surface of the car-bottom a. At opposite points near the lower end of the car A two other bracket-frames h are attached upon the sides of the car, which brackets afford support for the transversely-aligningshafts or journal ends of the grooved pulleys h, that are adapted to run loosely and be retained in alignment laterally with the grooved pulleys 9 above. The sets of aligning loose-running grooved pulleys mentioned are equally removed from the bottom wall a of the car A, and are designed to support said car when it is moved, as will appear.

The preferred point for using the car A in connection with a building is below the sill of an elevated window that is facing an unobstructed street or avenue, which will permit the free movement of the car.

Directly below a windoW-sillB of an upper story in a building that is to be provided with this improved fire-escape a strong rod e is supported removably in bracket blocks or boxes 1", these boxes being affixed to the sub-sill or adjacent wall of the building in a reliable manner by screw-bolts or other means. The horizontal rod 2 being removable longitudinally, has stout metal hooks m secured therejambs they engage when shut, whereby a i on in a manner which will permit of their removal. An L-shapcd bracket-plate a is provided, which extends the width of the window and has sheave bracket-frames 0 securely attached on its ends in a manner which will project them forwardly, as shown in Fig. 1, the sheaves or grooved pulleys 0' therein being in the same parallel vertical planes with the flanged pulleys 0, so that wire ropes C, placed on these pulleys,will deliver from and travel on mating pairs of the same freely.

In order to secure the bracket-plate 11. removably in position, the depending flange n of said plate is located between the rod 1' and the wall of the house, the projecting flange of the bracket-plate lying close beneath the subsill B of the window and the hooks m outwardly extended to engage loops or eyes 29, that are located on the lower corner of the car A, whereby the car may be hung suspended, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

Two strong wire trolley-ropes D are provided, which have their upper ends attached, as at 9', upon the horizontal flanges of the bracket-plates n at such points with relation to the width between the pairs of loose grooved wheels g and h that said wheels will rest thereon when the ropes D are properly stretched, and to effect this an adjustable anchor-plate E is adapted to retain the lower ends of the ropes spaced apart parallel to each other.

The anchor-plate is preferably made of wrought metal to afford strength with lightness, and is secured to the lower ends of the ropes D by any suitable means, said ropes being inserted through orifices in the plate, as shown in Fig. 4.

There are two pliable fireproof ropes or chains 0 furnished to alford means for moving the car. Said ropes have one end of each attached to the peripheral surface of a corresponding flange-pulley c, whereon the ropes are smoothly wrapped and then extended with their opposite ends to pass in below the sheave-pulleys 0, over which the ropes are conducted from the rear side forwardly and out above them, the free ends of said ropes being furnished with eyes that are placed over books .9, which are secured to the upper end of the car-frame on its side jambs, so as to avoid interference with the door of the car.

When the device is not in service, the anchor-plate, with attached ropes G, will be allowed to hang pendent from the car, that is in turn suspended below the sub'sill B. To put the fire-escape into use, the anchor-plate E is grasped by parties below and moved to the curb or in the street, where it is secured by long heavy spikes t, which are inserted through the holes therefor provided in the base-flange of the L-shaped anchor-plate, the trolley-ropes 0 being stretched taut and extended at right angles to the wall of the building, )roperly inclined outwardly and downwardly therefrom. This work of preparation can be speedily effected by firemen or other parties, as the spikes t are attached to chains and these to the anchor-plate, so that they will be ready for instant use. All that is necessary now is for one person, or, if so desired, a full load, to enter the carA, which is, as below stated, close to the window. The door above on the car being first opened, the party entering grasps the brake-levers c or c, holding these firmly upon the friction-drums (I, when the load may be safely lowered to the ground, it being understood that the door above is closed upon entrance of persons within the car, in case there should be flames issuing from windows below the one from which the escape was made.

After the first load of inmates has descended in the car A the coiled ropes on the flanged pulleys a will be nearly, if not completely,withdrawn therefrom,and should there be others above at the window to escape the ends of the ropes which are placed upon the books 3 may be removed and the car drawn upwardly by pulling the ropes C at these ends of the same. Any number of trips can be made, if necessary and the condition of the building will permit.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fire-escape, the combination, with a fire-proof car having double walls and a door at each end, a transverse shaft having friction-drums and flanged pulleys thereon, and fireproof flexible connections for these pulleys, attached at a window above and having their ends hooked to the car, of f rictionbrakes for the drums and an adjustable track whereon the car may travel, substantially as set forth.

In a fire-escape, a rectangular car having four revoluble grooved track-wheels and a door at each end, a transverse shaft on the car, having two brake-drums and two grooved pulleys on it, and a brake mechanism which may be operated manually, substantially as described.

In a fire-escape, the combination, with a rectangular car having four revoluble grooved track-wheels and a door at each end, a transverse shaft on the car, having two brakedrums and two grooved pulleys on it, and a brake mechanism which may be operated manually, and a bracket-plate removably secured on a building above, having sheaved brackets on its ends, of two leading fire-proof ropes wrapped upon the flanged pulleys and attached by one end of each thereto and engaging the sheaves of the bracket-plate, and two trolley-ropes having their lower ends attached to an adjustable anchor-plate, said adjustable anchor-plate, and means to secure it below, so as to hold the trolley-ropes parallel and on an incline, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL M. STEVENSON. \Vitnesses:

T. S. SHIELDS, I. A. Ross.

IlO 

